And with that win for his portrayal of Ron Woodroof in “Dallas Buyers Club,” the McConaissance is complete. It’s McConaughey’s first Oscar win. (Could his role in “True Detective” have boosted his chances?)

Matthew McConaughey accepts the best performance by an actor in a leading role. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Advertisement

Related

Statues of the Oscars remain in a tent before being transported to the red carpet and Dolby Theatre (FREDERIC J. BROWN/AFP/Getty Images)

Want to impress at your Oscars watch party? Borrow a page from our critics’ playbook and slip these predictions into the conversation as the presenters make their way to the podium. Don’t worry if you haven’t seen some of the nominees yet—we won’t tell if you won’t. Read more here.

Marie Elizabeth Oliver

March 2, 5:18 pm

Marie Elizabeth Oliver
March 2, 5:18 pm

Southern California has been getting some long-awaited rain, but it’s put a damper on the red carpet. All of the statuettes have been covered in plastic sheeting to protect them from the inclement weather. Though the rain is expected to slow down, celebrity umbrella-holders may have their work cut out for them tonight, protecting hair and makeup from the elements.

Maura Judkis

March 2, 5:54 pm

Maura Judkis
March 2, 5:54 pm

The most eagerly anticipated arrival of the night? It belongs to Lupita Nyong’o, who has been a Hollywood fixation, and the clear winner of this year’s award season fashion. The speculation over what Nyong’o will wear tonight has already begun. She’s modeled for Miu Miu, so the label is one of her options for this evening — but for previous awards shows this year, she’s been spotted in Dior and Ralph Lauren. Check out some of her best looks in the gallery below.

Kenyan actress Lupita Nyong’o poses for photographers on the red carpet at the EE British Academy Film Awards held at the Royal Opera House on Sunday Feb. 16, 2014, in London. (photos by Jon Furniss/Invision/AP)

Maura Judkis

March 2, 6:13 pm

Maura Judkis
March 2, 6:13 pm

Can Jonah Hill beat out Jared Leto for best supporting actor? Doubtful. Does “Nebraska” have a chance in the best picture field? Not likely. But Oscar upsets do happen. The academy that gave accolades to “Crash” and “Shakespeare in Love” has a rich history of making some baffling choices.

In 1999, Gwyneth Paltrow (left) won best actress for her role in “Shakespeare In Love” and Judi Dench took home best supporting actress. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

Click over to Jen Chaney’s Oscars upsets story for a rundown of some of the stranger award winners from years past, plus a look at some of the unexpected triumphs we might see tonight.

Stephanie Merry

March 2, 6:16 pm

Stephanie Merry
March 2, 6:16 pm

Early arrivals: Portia DeRossi and Kristin Chenoweth

Protip for Oscar guests: If you aren’t one of the nominees but want to get a lot of attention on the red carpet, come early.

The folks on E! have been doting on Kristin Chenoweth and Portia DeRossi, who are one step removed from the folks who actually have a stake in this evening: Chenoweth is dating Dana Brunetti, who was a producer of the best picture-nominated “Captain Phillips,” and DeRossi is married to host Ellen DeGeneres. They’re not the center of attention because of what they’re wearing, but merely because there is no one else to talk about yet.

Maura Judkis

March 2, 6:35 pm

Maura Judkis
March 2, 6:35 pm

After weeks of prognostication and tea-leaf reading, the nine-film Best Picture field has been effectively winnowed to a trio of likely contenders: “12 Years a Slave,” “Gravity” and “American Hustle.” The Post’s Ann Hornaday, Michael O’Sullivan and Stephanie Merry believe “12 Years a Slave” will be the night’s big winner, and for people interested in such things, the betting lines agree.

For informational purposes only, of course, from Bovada: Steve McQueen’s period drama is the favorite, at 1-4, followed by Alfonso Cuarón’s spaceborne thriller, at 7-2, and David O. Russell’s pompadoured romp, at 10-1. “Her,” “Nebraska” and “Philomena” face the longest odds at 200-1.

If the bookies are right, it’s down to two contenders for Best Director, and we could be looking at another rare-but-recent Best Picture/Best Director split. Cuarón tops the odds list at 1-25, followed by McQueen at 8-1 and Russell a distance 25-1.

Alex Baldinger

March 2, 6:43 pm

Alex Baldinger
March 2, 6:43 pm

Uh oh: One of the first fashion misses of the night. Liza Minnelli, who will be part of tonight’s tribute to “The Wizard of Oz” (her mother is Judy Garland), has a cool blue streak in her hair. But scroll down and you’ll see a bit of a wardrobe malfunction — the fabric of her asymmetrical blue pantsuit is a bit too thin and sheer.

Liza Minnelli arrives at the Oscars on Sunday, March 2, 2014, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

Maura Judkis

March 2, 6:44 pm

Maura Judkis
March 2, 6:44 pm

A quick read of Hollywood Reporter’s brutally honest Oscar ballots reveals that voters have some strange criteria for picking winners. (And it also shows that people tend to skip the shorts. Sad.)

Sandra Bullock in “Gravity,” the box office winner and most critically acclaimed of the nominees. (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, File)

But what if the public could pick the best picture winner?

Looking at domestic box office returns, it would be no contest. So far “Gravity” has raked in more than $270 million. The distant runner-up is “American Hustle” with more than $146 million. Last place goes to “Nebraska” with $17 million.

If the critics were in charge, the race would be tight — according to Rotten Tomatoes, eight of the nine nominees received more than 90 percent positive reviews. But the winner would be the same. “Gravity” scored well with 97 percent of critics, followed by “12 Years a Slave” with 96. “The Wolf of Wall Street” was the outlier. Only 77 percent of critics enjoyed the three hours of debauchery.